Starter fell off the truck

1/14/12 Saturday
Went down to 26 degrees last night but today is the start of a nice warm up. I went to get mail and buy some diesel for the tractor but when I came out of the post office and tried to start the truck, it wouldn’t turn over. At first the starter made a grinding sound that I recognized as it not engaging the flywheel, but then it just clicked. There were several people who offered help, one went home to bring his truck back in order to give me a jump. While he was gone another fellow pulled up next to me, seeing the hood up and jumper cables out, and asked if I needed a jump. That didn’t work, the starter still just clicked. Another nice gentleman asked if I would like him to tow me home, saying he had a chain in his truck. Sounded like a good plan to me so I gratefully accepted.

When we let the truck roll back so we could attach the chain a lady coming out got my attention and pointed to a long bolt laying on the ground where I had been parked. Come to find out one of the bolts that held the starter on had broken off. The threaded part is still in the motor block. That will be an adventure to get out. Now that Cherie gets paid on a two week basis money is tight at this time of the month, but it’s always tight anyway. I will need to get a screw or thread extractor in order to clear the bolt hole, or perhaps left handed drill bits. Problem is I don’t think my drill runs in reverse but I’m pretty sure the cordless one does. When I crawled under the truck the starter fell off and broke the big wire fitting that supplies it’s juice so I have to fix that too.

I think I will go get some diesel with Cherie’s truck and run the tractor while the ground is still damp and workable. The pain level has been pretty high since yesterday, making simple movements a challenge. Can’t take the morphine till 2:00 but it barely dampened the pain yesterday so it is just something I’ll have to endure. I am tired too, though it is only 12:45. Today I am back to where I was 8 years ago regarding pain and that fatigue that comes on so easily. Reminds me just how blessed I am.